Improved cotton-press



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Letters Paicnt N. 95,411, dated October 5, 1869: antellatcfl September22, 1869.

IMPROVED COTTON-PRESS.

04H The Schedule referred to in` these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Auensmn BALDwrx, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Presses;and I do hereby declare that the following `is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art toconstruct the same, and the public to fully understand it, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.'

Figure l represents a vertical section of my improved press.

Figures 2, 4, and 5, represent horizontal sections of the threadedsegmen l Figure 3 represents the upper portion of the external rod E,provided with a slot, a", as an equivalent for the joint y.

The .nature of my invention-consists in the lconstruction of a press forcotton and other substances, having two movable platens, one of which isstationary during the early stages of the process of compression bythemovementof the other, but which is brought' into action and made toexpedite the concluding stages of the process, by being caused toapproach the platen, which is first set in motion at a stage of theprocess when additional power is needed, and when, from the position ofihe toggle-joint, said additional power can be most effectively applied.

A is the bed ofthe press.

B is the lower platen.

C is the upper platen.

D D are segments. Y

E E are rods connecting the lower platen with the exterior portions ofthe-segments D D, by thev bolts v the bale, additional poweris demandedtorreduceit, and

u u and p p, which form movable joints.

These rods are not continuous, but are divided into two parts,l andunited by additional movable joints, as shown at y y.

An equivalent for said additional toggle-joint is shown in the-form of aslat, in the upper portion of `said rods, at x, fig. y y

The object of the toggle-joint y, or its equivalent, the slat x, in therodsdil E, is in order to prevent them from raising the lower platen inthe early stage of the process of compression. 4

J J are the rods connecting the upper platen with the interior portionof the said segments, by the bolts s s and r r, forming movable joints.

lis the frame-work within whiclrare the interior portions oi'thesegments D D, and the upright screw m, actuating the same.

The continuation of said frame-work is shown by the dotted lines OQO. jy

gis the bevelled gear attached to the lshaft of the driving-wheel F. andworking into the horizontal bevtenen and groove, as shown in fig. 5;

elled gear h, which is attached to the upper portion of the uprightscrew m. i

K K represent two of the four posts connecting the frame-work l with thebed A, and upon which the upper and lower platens, are caused to slide,by the encircling extensions at d' a a' a.

Q q are the bearings upon which'the segments are centred, and upon whichthey are caused to move in .their partial revolutions.

n a are removable threaded faces, attached to said segments by thescrews, as shown at o o o.

t is a removable threaded collar, encircling the upright shaft m, whichmaybe keyed toits proper position in the usual way.

Upon that portion of the removable faces oi' the segments which form theedges of the threaded groove, are reciprocatingprominences anddepressions, which act as guides for-thetwu halves ofi-the nut formedbyv the segments, and serve to hold the segments in their true position,and to prevent what is known as sideflash, or side pressure upon theupright threaded shaft.

-These guides may be made in the form of a V- shaped or bythe process ofhaIv-ing, as in iig. 4; or by external strips, acting as guides, asshown in tlg. 2.

It will be seen, that by revolving the driving-wheelA in one direction,the upper platen will be impelled to descend, while the lower platen,being connected to the outer portion of the segment by the rod E,provided with its additional joint y, or its equivalent, the slotremains stationary until the bundle or bale is partially compressed, andthe toggle-joint, formed by the Il inner rod and the segment, isstraightened.

At this point, when, from thejnereasing density of when, also,the'toggle-joint formed by the outer rod and the outer portion of thesegment is in such, a position as to be most effective, the upwardmovement of th'e lowerv platen begins, and this added power speedilyconcludes the operation.

The object of constructing the threaded parts of the upright screw andof the interior portion of the segments D D of separate pieces, is -inorder that they may he made of harder materials, as of steel or somealloy better calculated to resist Wear than the metal or material ofwhich the upright shaft andsegments are chiefly composed, as well -as torender the repair of these portions less expensive and less diiiicult toaccomplish. v

The guides which I employ on the edges or the removable faces of thesegments, are-found to be of great advantage, in preventing a tendencyto jam or to a'ect injuriously, by lateral pressure,A the horizontalthreaded shaft. I iind it impossible to successfnll y operate my presswithout these or equivalent guides,

and, therefore, deem this device essential toits snccessful use. A y

The whole structure, with the exception of the threaded portions alludedto, is designed to be constructcd of cast or wrought-iron, and thedimensions may bc varied'according to the size of the bale which it isintended to make.

l do not claim", either severally or inf combination, the segments, thescrew, the upper Iamd lower platens movable in opposite directions, ortheir connectingtods, for all these I know to be old; but

I olaim l. The external rods E E, when provided with the toggle-joint yy, or its equivalent, the slot, connected with the lower pinten B,furthe purpose of securing the cooperation of said lower platen towardthe conl clusion of the operation of compression, substantially ns setforth.

2. The combination of' the jointed or slotted rod E E with an uprightshaft, having a removable threaded collar, und with segments, havingremovable threaded

